Meat + Poultry - September 2006 - 39

designed to completely
segregate raw and cooked
product. "Everything is
segregated in the plant
because contamination
is always the major issue
in a fully cooked, readyto-eat product plant," Elliott says.
The plant has separate
entrances for employees
who work in the raw material area and those who work in the
cooked product area. There also are
separate break rooms, restrooms and
clean rooms for those employees. "You
break down all your food safety barriers if you do everything right except
have a place where employees are all
taking a break in the same room or using the same restrooms," Elliott says.
"If the plant requires crossing paths,
that's just a poor design."
The facility also features the latest
equipment for proper airflow and filtration, Elliott notes. "We have proper
air filtration and positive airflow in the
plant, so we don't have any airborne issues," he says. "You don't want negative
airflow pulling air particles out of the
raw side of the plant and placing them
into the cooked product side."
The drains are all stainless steel.
"Of course anybody who builds a
plant today is going to put in all stainless steel drains vs. the old cast-iron
drains where bacteria can get hung up
in them," Elliott says.
Drains throughout the plant are also
segregated so a backed-up drain in the
raw material side of the plant can never
enter the cooked side.
The plant's refrigeration system also
was designed stressing food safety.
All of the refrigeration components as
well as the pipes are on the plant's roof.
This building technique has become
common in most new plants because
it eliminates the need to worry about
paint flecks or rust specks from pipes
and other components falling and contaminating food and equipment. "The

ers began in 2001. The
business became a reality when Elliott teamed
with Flint Hills and Westin and selected the site
for the Harlan plant. Elliott says he and his father
Larry, a former refrigeration engineer who also
is involved in the business, bring operational
and sales experience to
the venture. "It's not our goal to be everything to everyone," Elliott says. "But
we do listen to our customers."

"We can cook
bacon to make
it more like it
came off of
the grill in the
café."
plant's ceiling is very clean and easy to
keep clean," Elliott points out.
After graduating from college, Elliott worked for Sugar Creek Packing
Co., which had just gotten into the precooked bacon segment when he joined
the company. "I kind of cut my teeth on
fully cooked bacon," he says.
The idea for Shelby County Cook-

Larry Aylward is a freelance writer
based in Cleveland.
We would like to hear from you-your comments and
questions about this article are welcome. E-mail the author
at: meatpoultry@sosland.com.

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September 2006

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MEAT&POULTRY

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39
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Meat + Poultry - September 2006

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